


you can call me monster

by JamlessGenius



Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Asexual Ahn Jaewon | Wyld, Confrontations, Dryad Ahn Jaewon | Wyld, Imp Lee Minsoo, M/M, OT4, Polyamory, Rated T for Minsoo’s potty mouth, Secrets, Seelie Kim Daehyun (Lost In Translation - Webcomic), Vampire Junsu (Lost In Translation - Webcomic), Wizard Kang Dongho | D.Min, jjolee said ace jaewon rights, jjolee supremacy, no beta we die like sungmin, this was supposed to be slowburn with secrets but d.soo told me to leave and let them take control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27543169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamlessGenius/pseuds/JamlessGenius
Summary: The one where they’re not human and hiding it and a tiny bit- a lot- in love.
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Junsu, Ahn Jaewon | Wyld/Kang Dongho | D.Min/Kim Daehyun/Lee Minsoo, Kang Dongho | D.Min/Kim Daehyun/Lee Minsoo, Kang Dongho | D.Min/Lee Minsoo
Comments: 14
Kudos: 16
Collections: Lost in Translation Fic Discord Secret Santa





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [baekhyunsmoles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/baekhyunsmoles/gifts).



Dongho doesn’t remember a time he wasn’t involved in magic. A company run by wizards willing to use magic to manipulate the stock market or business partners is not an environment to raise a child. But he was raised to be a scion of a wizarding family and raised to run one.

He still ran away. Dongho doesn’t want to become some kind of corporate overlord. He has dreams and they don’t involve his parents’ empire.

It’s landed him here. He exits another tabloid article about his bandmate, his thumbnail clicking against the screen of his phone. 

Wyld reminds him of an incubus. He has no understanding as to why he needs to screw around that much otherwise.

It’s a stupid notion. He’s the only member anything other than human. 

He sighs. That’s him, a member of MAYHEM, a steadily rising kpop group plagued by the scandals that come from one member one after another. Ahn Jaewon, Wyld, whatever you called him, he’s bad news and they’re stuck with him. 

Dance, Dongho thinks, is it’s own kind of magic. In moving his body, what differentiates wizard and human? Nothing.

It’s a thrill, to be good in himself with nothing propping him up. That’s him, Kang Dongho, and he is more than his magic. He is his music and his dance and he is D.Min. The pun in his name was not lost on him.

It’s a weird sort of irony he doesn’t feel like poking. 

Not that it truly matters, in the end. Dongho finds that he has greater concerns. And by greater concerns he means literally anything other than his stage name.

He’s reading an article, Wyld’s latest escapades sprawled in his recommended articles, and he’s focusing on the news about some inane affair between a CEO and a secretary causing a divorce. The door opens to reveal Kim Daehyun, fingers coated in some indigo... liquid. He isn’t quite sure what it is but his hands are stained a gentle lilac by them. He stares down Daehyun, who gives him an a grin and hides his hands behind his back.

“Why are your hands purple?”

“Good... question?” Daehyun grins with an easy charm. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he grumbles, steering that mischievous little makane of theirs to the bathroom.

* * *

He knows the stereotype. An imp is a mischievous, evil, slave. Minsoo also knows that he’s never seen an imp willingly work with or for a witch. Imps prefer humans, who they can blend amongst.

Like now, as he shot a character in his game and heard a hearty curse over his headphones. 

“You’re never gonna get over that,” he smugly tells him. His friend snickers.

“Like that crush you have on your coworkers?”

“You insignificant dick cheese,” Minsoo spits. “Shut up.”

He does have a crush on Dongho and Daehyun and he fucking regrets telling them.

“Heya hyung!”

Did they just hear him? That’s Dae at the door with his stupidly adorable face beaming at him and-

Fuck.

He’s so cute and Minsoo is a fucking fool! The biggest fool! That’s him! He can practically feel the blush and- well fuck!

He actually can not believe that now-

“Is your nose shining?”

Thank whatever’s up there for beanies, especially the black one he forgot he’d been wearing.

“What? No. Are you drunk?”

“No?”

He hates hiding this part of himself but it’s such a norm that he doesn’t even look the other way at this point.

Some things need to stay secret.

* * *

Jaewon has no idea how he got here. It doesn’t mean very much because he is here now. Dryads emulate their hosts and Jaewon is a pine tree, a tree that stands solid even in the cold. A tree that shelters with branches. So he will be their shelter. Even if the scandals hurt. Like now, when Minsoo is yelling at him for something he didn’t do and he can’t even tell them a truth. 

Jaewon stands firm.

“Aw! Hyung is cute when he’s angry!” Daehyun laughs from where he enters, before he realizes who Minsoo is angry at. 

“Oh! So you think I’m cute when I’m angry?” Minsoo’s practically hissing. “Well buckle up, fucker, because I’m about to get gorgeous. What the fuck is wrong with you?! Harassing girls?”

Jaewon doesn’t move, face wooden. Minsoo has yelled at Jaewon for almost every scandal involving harassment. Clubs? Minsoo pretends not to care but harassment crosses a line.

Pine trees do not bend with that level of force. It takes much more for a pine tree to splinter and crack. 

His phone rings, it’s his mother.

“I have to take this, sorry hyung!” Jaewon calls, running into the other room.

“Jaewon! What’s going on?!”

“What?”

“Y-your tree. I looked up your name and... all these scandals. Why did you lie to me?”

“Because none of them are real. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, you deserve the truth and not a son who’s afraid of it.” Jaewon laughs pathetically. “But I didn’t want you to be hurt.”

“I-“

“Sent money. I never spent it, you know.”

“You- you didn’t?”

“No,” Jaewon says firmly.

“Can you-“ he hears her let out a shaky breath- “can you come home? Just for a little?”

“Yeah,” Jaewon says in a heartbeat. “I will.”

* * *

Seelies.

Light faeries. Benevolent pranksters.

Daehyun knows what he is. He’s always known what he is. Even growing up among humans and falling in love for a time, Daehyun knows that he’s magical. 

He’s the one knowing there’s a lie but not knowing where it is. Really, it itches at his mind like a bug bite he can’t quite reach. 

Daehyun knows a lot. 

He also knows that Minsoo hyung is gonna lose his mind when he sees this. It’s gonna be funny and really cute.

Oh there’s that-

Kim Daehyun also knows that he has a huge crush on Lee Minsoo hyung and Kang Dongho hyung. You know, his hyungs and coworkers. Listen, Lee Minsoo hyung is bright and exciting where Kang Dongho hyung is warm and solid. He has good taste and will defend that taste any day of the whole wide week. When Minsoo hyung gets excited or goes a little wild, Daehyun can be wild with him! Dongho hyung is also warm to Daehyun. He feels happy with them, and he really would like to take them on dates and kiss their cheeks. 

Not that he’s focused on that for the minute. Right now, he’s bedazzling a keyboard. 

What? Who said his pranks had to make sense? Minsoo hyung can’t touch type all that well, and is only good at multitasking with game controls. He’s not gonna be able to read! 

He chose squishy gems to avoid hurting his hyung’s fingers though. He really can’t feel happy pranking his hyungs in ways that could hurt them!


	2. Chapter 2

Dongho knows Lee Minsoo and Kim Daehyun are idiots

He also thinks that they are adorable idiots.

What’s to be said, really? He could write a thousands songs about how liking someone sends a headier rush throughout his body than any spell could. There is, after all, a certain kind of magic in feelings and relationships.

It’s not the biggest deal, if anything it’s an annoyance. But he has greater concerns.

Like now, his project. He’s been trying to replicate the noise of an exploding freeze potion instead of shattering glass in a backtrack.

By the time he’s managed to acquire the necessary amounts of cucumber and yeti claw, it was already late. But art waits for no man. 

He’s already mourning this pot. It’s not gonna survive this.

He just hopes the sound goes through the mic well enough.

The locked, soundproof door will protect him from prying eyes. Which is necessary, he decides, as he stirs a thread of spider silk in and following with rock salt.

He really could get accused of arson if he’s not careful.

It’s why he ends up having to clean the spot from his computer by hand after he gets the desired sound. Who needs sleep anyway?

The clock reads two am.

* * *

“It’s late.” Minsoo says from the couch. He’s been waiting there since eleven. What the hell took Dongho this long? His fingers are stained black with what’s probably leftover crushed pencil.

“And?”

“You shouldn’t stay out this late,” Minsoo says. His tone is too bossy and he fights a flinch when he sees a cold expression mask Dongho’s eyes.

“You don’t have that kind of right,” he states. Minsoo fights another flinch.

“What?”

“You don’t have the right to order me around,” Dongho says with a glare sharper than ice. Minsoo finds himself irritated.

“I’m not ordering you around! As it is, I’m your leader!”

“Abuse of authority doesn’t make a leader,” Dongho sneers and it hurts. Minsoo scowls. This overworking idiot! Why does he even like him again?!

“It’s because I care that I’m saying this!” 

“And why do you care?” Dongho stiffens, surprised.

Let it be known that he did this under duress. 

“Because I like you, you fucking dumbass!”

Dongho freezes and in between his absolute panic, a sort of amusement creeps in because Dongho always had been cutest when he’s caught off guard.

“If I ever did end up with you, I would have expected you to tell me like that,” Dongho chuckles. “It’s... really cute.”

Minsoo gapes.

“I’ll accept your confession,” Dongho teases, squeezing Minsoo’s hand.

He’s going to have a fucking heart attack, right here and now.

His hand is also covered in what he thinks is graphite.

“Go to bed.”

* * *

He rides to Daegu in silence, moving away from anyone who gets too close. He doesn’t have time for another scandal, now.

His mother leads him to his tree and there’s some sickly red and yellow vines strangling his host tree. It’s Wyld. That’s what it is. 

“Are you happy, at least?” His mother finally asks after they sit together in silence for a while. He wishes he could sprout leaves and tell a story with the colors they’d give off. But he has to speak instead. Oh how fearless a dying leaf is, bright and beautiful and telling with nothing more to lose. Jaewon is alive, what dying leaf could he be? He needs to be solid. He can be solid. 

He inhales, letting the air roll words around his mouth. 

“It’s not that I don’t like my life... I just...” Jaewon trails off. “I don’t have the energy to enjoy it.”

“It’s starting to show,” his mother’s voice softens. “I should have known from the moment those vines started to wrap and strangle.”

“It’s not your fault that I’ve been running from the truth,” Jaewon says.

“It is my fault that you didn’t feel able to come to me,” his mother sighs, eyes sad. Jaewon rests his head on her shoulder.

“No it’s not. You will never be at fault for me loving you, mom.” 

All the air gets knocked from him when slim but strong arms wrap around him.

“I’m so proud of you, my pine tree, never breaking,” she murmurs. Jaewon feels tears gloss at his eyes. 

“Thank you, for being proud of me.”

“Does it ever stop hurting? To have a fake version of yourself sucking enough energy from the real one to become visceral?”

“No, it doesn’t,” he tells her. 

“You... you need to do something! They can’t do this to you what if-“

“Mom?”

“What if it kills you? What if it takes until there’s nothing left?”

“I’m okay, I won’t let it,” he says, knowing it’s not true.

“Please, Jaewon,” she begs. Jaewon smiles.

“One day, when MAYHEM is out of debt to the company and we start getting more and more successful, I won’t need to anymore. The fake persona can wither away.”

“You’re certain?”

The lie feels heavy on his tongue.

“Positive.”

* * *

Minsoo hyung and Dongho hyung are dating.

Jaewon hyung had smiled at them so brightly that he almost thought he was the light fairy. But he digresses: he’s jealous.

Well, maybe jealous is the wrong word but when he sees them dote on each other and smile he feels the cold knowledge that he wants them both and they have each other.

That’s not a relationship Daehyun wants to interfere with. Okay maybe jealous is the wrong word.

Whatever he is, he’s pining. He sees Minsoo hyung pour coffee as Dongho hyung pulls out breakfast and they’re talking and small and fond and in between it all he sees them bicker in the ways they have long come to know was fond. It’s old married couple energy.

And Daehyun shouldn’t get in the middle of that. 

But what if he wants to? What does he do when his heart speeds up when Minsoo hyung looks over at him to complete a vine reference or when Dongho hyung ruffles his hair even if he’s the tallest? They’re so close but so far and Daehyun wants, wants, wants-

He knows that if he does he needs to reach for it.

He also feels acutely aware of the wings hidden under his shirt and way he’s glamoured his ears to be rounder. Can he be with them if he’s lying to them?

They smile at him and he thinks.

Maybe.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s late again and Boba has decided to let her horns out.

A noise literally stops his heart. Their smallest member is staring, eyes locked on Boba.

“It’s three in the morning, what are you doing awake?”

“What the heck is that?!”

“My cat,” Dongho says, playing at placid.

“CATS DON’T HAVE GOAT HORNS, HYUNG!” Minsoo hisses between his teeth. Dongho shoots a look at Boba. Damn that familiar of his. 

“Some can,” he tries his hand a bold-faced lie.

“That’s bullshit. What, are ya a witch?”

Dongho doesn’t respond. 

“Fucking hell, an imp and a witch in one group,” Minsoo cusses. He shakes his head. “Never mind that, you watch my back and I watch yours. We made it through being trainees and a year after debut? We can make it now.”

“An imp? Explains the height,” Dongho teases. He’s not really sure how else to respond.

“Literally fuck you.”

“We both know it’s the other way around, baby,” he teases. Minsoo squeaks, turning red. His ears flop out and a tail wraps around Dongho’s wrist.

“Don’t embarrass me!” Minsoo whines and oh- he’s too cute. He’s actually even cuter with his eyes taking a sharper shape and his nose glittering silver in the low light. 

“What are you even doing up?” Dongho sighs. Minsoo scratches awkwardly at his ear. 

“It’s- oh... actually I as going to find someone who could um... help me? My powers are out of whack.” That’s... a concern, actually. 

“Your powers?”

“I can sense secrets and... well there’s a really big one and it’s starting to get painful? I can’t ignore it-“ Minsoo’s solid voice softens into something small but Dongho is stuck on a word.

“You’re in pain?!”

“I’m okay, really! It’s not physical pain, ya get?” He did. He didn’t like it, though. 

“I know some seeing spells,” he offers. Minsoo gives him a pleading look.

“Can you help me, please?”  


* * *

“I’m going to need teeth, Himalayan pink salt, a rock, Jaewon’s and Daehyun’s hair, ginger, and soju.” Dongho doesn’t even flinch. Minsoo blinks.

“Soju? For the spell?”

“No, to make me feel better about poking seeing-eye-holes into reality. Now move it.”

It’s such easy material to access that by the time Dongho has gotten his own tools out, Minsoo already had everything he needed. He watched the bright blue potion take on a pale green and then he was looking inside of a coffeeshop. Jaewon is at a table, talking to a barista.

“They don’t love me, Jun, they’re not that stupid,” Jaewon rolls his eyes.

“Seem like dumbasses to me,” the man shrugs and Minsoo catches a flash of a tooth. That’s a fang. This Jun fellow is a vampire.

They seem to be friends? Minsoo isn’t quite too sure, but he needs to keep an eye out because a “with benefits” in that situation could literally kill Jaewon.

The scene blurs and suddenly a woman is tugging Jaewon’s arm and pleading. She’s desperate and people have their phones out. 

“Why don’t you love me?! Why can’t you at least fuck me!”

“I’m sorry, I love our fans but not like that,” Jaewon’s trying to placate now. “Please understand that it’s not that you’re not beautiful, it’s that I’m really just-“ Jaewon’s voice drops, secretive- “not that kind of person.”

She huffs and disappears and tattoo guy is there once more.

“Your company’s gonna kill you for that,” Jun comments mildly. Neither of them make any move to go after the people who’d taken videos. 

“I don’t give a damn,” Jaewon sighs, the cuss word falling off of exhausted lips.

“You give so many damns it’s visible from space,” the barista snorts.

“What can they do to me?” Jaewon laughs. “I have nothing left for them to steal. They have my name, my face, my soul is theirs to mold. What don’t they have control over at this point?”

“You-“ Jun stops. “We’re being watched?”

“Paparazzi or...?”

“Or,” Jun confirms grimly. “Better than the time that Sohee chick tried to harvest your fucking skin. At least there’s a warning now.”

“There is,” Jaewon agrees, flopping onto the table. 

“Should we get rid of it or is someone just gonna get off on their unavailable voyeuring.”

“Wh- Jun! You know that I’m asexual,” Jaewon flushes. 

The scene cuts and flickers to Daehyun.

And then cuts out.

* * *

“Hello?”

Why is Minsoo calling him? He hasn’t done anything? Is there a scandal he wasn’t even pictured in that’s going around? 

“We need to talk to you,” Dongho says. And he’s there too. Is Jaewon in some sort of trouble?

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to know what you’re doing in scandals when you don’t even like those girls.”

An ill sort of foreboding tightens his chest and spins his stomach. 

“What?”

His question is not so mercifully answered by 

“Wyld. We know you’re asexual.”

His throat constricts.

“What-“

“We’re not acephobic! Minsoo, that’s an awful way to start!” Dongho steps in to scold and no- that’s not the problem here! The problem is that they’re dangerously close to the edge of the truth and the closer they get to the edge of that cliff, the more danger they’re in. Why couldn’t his secret have been him being a dryad? Why is his secret not even hiding his species but his soul? And isn’t this so much worse?

“What’s- um- I... what?”

“We need to talk about your scandals. And the real reason we got a dorm. When you spent the night and had a trauma attack, I had us get a dorm and I told you that Park was acting strange. You knew. Why are you having sex scandals if you don’t even like sex?”

“I-“

Jaewon cleaned it up. He told them about the man on the train and the conversation with Park but he left out doing it on purpose. He left out the motive because if they had to know the truth, he’d never tell them that they were the reason.

In the ice, pine branches protect, even if you need to burn them to get there.

* * *

He’s gathered his courage and he’s prepared for the rejection that’s coming. 

“I have a crush on you guys. And I know you’re dating but I needed to tell you-“ 

“It’s that simple?” Minsoo hyung interrupts.

Daehyun gapes.

“I mean I also like you...” Minsoo hyung trails off and looks over at Dongho hyung. 

“I like you, I’m willing to try a poly relationship if it’s with you.”

His heart-

“Does that mean I can call you my boyfriends?”

Minsoo hyung plants a kiss to his cheek, featherlight.

“I’d like that.”

“We should tell Jaewon,” Dongho hyung says. Daehyun feels a spike of anxiety.

“Wouldn’t Jaewon hyung judge us?” 

“He’s asexual, he really doesn’t judge.” Minsoo hyung shrugs. 

Asexual? Then the scandals-

The itchiest part of the secret is gone and oh-

Ahn Jaewon hyung is really misunderstood. He still feels trepidation as Minsoo hyung simply calls across the dorm. 

“Hey Jaewon! Were dating Daehyun now too!” Jaewon hyung looks up, a million and one things going across his face. 

“Like... polyamory?”

“Yup,” Dongho hyung says.

“That’s great! I’m happy for you guys!” Jaewon hyung beams, eyes curling and he looks golden in the sunlight. His hyung’s eyes are curling into his smile and Daehyun knows what is happening. He internally curses. 

He knows his heart just skipped a beat. 


	4. Chapter 4

They’re hiding it from Daehyun and secrets about things like these can destroy a relationship. 

Is it dumb of him to want to just be happy while it lasts?

Daehyun is resting with his head on Dongho’s shoulder, running his hand’s through Minsoo’s hair. Minsoo is sprawled on his lap and he’s so cute.

He really, really likes them.

He really, really does not want to mess this up.

He really, really knows that he’s likely to.

He really, really wishes he knew what to do about that.

* * *

Daehyun is so sweet that he feels so much guilt going into this relationship. Two of them are keeping a secret. He went into dating Dongho with a secret but considering that they had the same type and reason, they understood each other. 

He doesn’t know if Daehyun would understand.

He’s here on Dongho’s arm and wishes Daehyun was there. It’s some wizarding function because apparently Dongho’s separation with his parents didn’t extend to wizardry.

He’s seen enough snide people comment on Dongho’s choice of date and a very old white guy likened him to a familiar. 

Dongho plied him with some sort of bubbly alcohol that refused to intoxicate him and looked handsome enough in that robe of his that he doesn’t care all too much. 

Dongho smiles at him and he knows that while they’re like this, free from company dating clauses and complications, they can be happy.

Daehyun brought up telling CEO Park that they were in a relationship.

Everything is about to change.

The Minsoo from tomorrow is going to look back at today’s Minsoo with a million feelings and he just hopes that they’re good feelings. 

* * *

“I’m scheduling you for another scandal.” Park tells him. Jaewon fights a flinch.

“Another?”

“Yes, the one I got you in last week didn’t create the buzz I wanted,” Park states. Jaewon nods.

“I see.”

“Jaewon,” Park’s voice is ice cold. “You’re doing it so none of the other members need to be in scandals.”

“I know. It’s why I agreed.”

“Then I want-“

The door slams open. Three people are standing behind it. There’s boiling rage painted across Minsoo’s features and Dongho’s gaze could freeze lava. Daehyun, behind them is shaking.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no _no_ -

“So you lied when you said that the scandals were accidental. You caused them on purpose?” Minsoo spits. Jaewon looks away.

“At least why they keep happening makes a little more sense now,” Dongho pins Park with a glare. “Why weren’t we told.”

It’s not a question as much as it’s a demand. 

“Scandals are press,” Park takes over, easily. “Wyld didn’t want you to know because he didn’t want to affect your performances.”

Daehyun looks like he’s going to throw up, his eyes are growing wider and Jaewon almost thinks he looks otherworldly in the lighting. He could swear he sees a flash of silver go through Minsoo’s skin, a glow of purple skin through Dongho’s eyes, but he must be imagining it. 

“You lied to us,” Minsoo growls. “And for what? Some sick form of trying to protect us?!”

“Minsoo hyung,” Daehyun quietly interrupts, “it’s not Jaewon hyung who we should be mad at.”

“You’re right,” Minsoo exhales. “I’m sorry for yelling, Jaewon.”

“It’s okay, really,” Jaewon smiles. He almost feels lifeless, like he’s falling because all of his rules and barriers just crashed down and he never realized how much he relied on them to keep him up.

“Why did you do this to him?”

“I had a moment where I could ruin you all or capitalize. I chose the latter,” Park says, almost lazily. 

“You ruined him,” Minsoo snarls.

“I made him, and you, successful,” Park corrects. “Media is tied to all of this. We control the narrative now.”

“And you just let him do this?”

“I agreed,” Jaewon says. Wooden, wooden, please be wooden. Pine is strong so please don’t snap-

“I agreed,” Jaewon tells them. “I agreed to do this.”

_ Wooden- _

“I still can’t figure out why you’d do this to yourself,” Dongho sighs. “You knew the consequences.”

“And I did it anyway.”

_ Wooden- _

“Hyung, please don’t sacrifice yourself for us. You don’t deserve that,” Daehyun pleads. A shimmering year draws down his face.

“I want to do that.”

_ Please be wooden- _

“No you don’t,” Minsoo hyung says. “But you do it anyway.”

His eyes are shiny.

_ Pine is strong- _

“And you,” Minsoo turns to face Park. “How could you?!”

The conversation starts to blur.

_ So please don’t snap. _

Jaewon can’t handle this. He turns and he leaves.

* * *

“Dongho,” Minsoo hyung says seriously, “are you able to magically reproduce those images so we can make a video?”

“Ye-“ 

Dongho hyung freezes, eyes widening. He’s staring at Daehyun.

“What?” Minsoo hyung blinks. Dongho hyung carefully raises a finger to point at Daehyun. A moment of worry takes over before it hits him.

Oh. They’re magical, too. 

A giggle carves its way out of him. 

“And here I was, scared of telling you that I’m a seelie,” he snorts. This moment should be serious but he can’t help but laugh that he found out like this.

“Okay, so I can reproduce the memory into a video but I’m gonna need to concentrate. You can’t distract me while I do it,” Dongho hyung tuts.

“Are we not gonna talk about how all three of us are supernatural-?!”

“Nah,”

“What?!” 

“It’s been a weird fucking day, man,” he settles on saying. Minsoo hyung snorts.


	5. Chapter 5

He sets up the spell, fighting to keep his own rage down as he replays it and lets them record a scene that they never even saw in full. He lets them catch it and their confrontation.

He want to be upset that Minsoo yelled at Jaewon, but a part of him is angry too.

Why would Jaewon not tell them?

He knows why.

He understands why.

It still makes him angry.

Secrets, it appeared, are the cornerstones to MAYHEM. How often have they lied to each other? About how many things? What else gets hidden?

Of course Minsoo would feel the weight of unshared secrets, they were sagging with it and the dam just broke. 

He doesn’t want to think about any of it. So they leak the video and leave the internet to explode. It’s going to, and he isn’t quite sure if it’s going to be good. Quite frankly, he just shared a secret he hadn’t even been privy to.

But he’s not going to allow Jaewon to let himself be exploited for his sake. He doesn’t want him to be exploited at all.

Jaewon, he’s realizing, for all his kindness and care, is so misunderstood that it hurts.

How can they have thought that about that kittenlike member of theirs? Jaewon looks like Boba but doesn’t have the claws to match.

Ahn Jaewon is a real sweetheart and Kang Dongho knows that he is completely and utterly screwed.

* * *

He came with Jaewon to Daegu and he doesn’t quite like what he sees.

Ahn Jaewon is inside, talking to Ms. Jaewon. What Minsoo sees is from where he stands outside, under a pine tree wreathed in sickeningly colored vines that were only just starting to die. What he sees is the way the other women look at her in their Daegu town. And he doesn’t like it. At all.

“Be careful,” they giggle snidely behind their hands, “a woman who has a son with no father is loose.”

Anger settles in his gut. How dare they?!

“You know, they’re still going on about you having sex with some random man,” Jaewon snorts from indoors. Minsoo whirls to face the building, horrified to hear that in their conversation. But imp hearing always has been strong.

He blames the ear size.

“Dryads don’t have sex to have children. I made a baby so I had a baby,” Ms. Ahn replies fondly. “No fathers for you! I wanted you all to myself!”

Jaewon lets out a peal of giggles and they’re so euphonious that they’re like liquid gold. Maybe more like liquid sunshine.

He feels warm.

And then he firmly bites the inside of his cheek.

Idiot!

You can’t have a crush on another person right after-

Oh he totally can. And he totally does.

Fuck.

* * *

“Dryad, huh?”

The voice behind him startles Jaewon. It’s Minsoo. And he may or may not be about to have a heart attack.

“I- hyung, I can explain-“ Jaewon starts and stops because his own word cut each other off and he’s stumbling to find some sort of answer because it seems not one thing about him is safe-

“I guess MAYHEM really doesn’t have any humans. We need a diversity hire,” Minsoo jokes, shaking his head with a laugh.

What.

“H-hyung?”

“Lee Minsoo, of the Lee clutch. Dongho’s the scion to the Kang wizard house. And Daehyunah is of Seelie courts.” The brilliant grin on his face makes Jaewon laugh a little.

“What other secrets have we been hiding from each other?”

“I think that’s the last of em,” Minsoo shrugs, leaning in closer with a wink. “Unless there’s something else you wanna say?”

Is Minsoo... flirting with him? No, that wouldn’t make sense. Minsoo is in a closed relationship. 

“I do have something I wanna ask,” he hedges. “What were you guys doing there?”

“We were gonna put in an official notice with Park about dating,” Minsoo explains.

“What’s happening to us now, anyway?” Jaewon asks, tucking a cherry-red strand behind his ear. 

“Park has been sued by so many people that the company’s been bought out so we’re gonna have to put that notice in with someone else,” Minsoo says, glancing at a text from someone who, based on the little fox next to a “My Hoe,” is probably Dongho. But the news is, in fact, news to him. He gapes at Minsoo.

“The company’s been bought out?!”

“Today, Park washed his hands of it. I got news on the train here,” Minsoo says. “We’re under SHC Labels now.” Jaewon pauses, thinking back to that meeting with Minyoung and her CEO. Jaewon could have sworn the guy wasn’t human either, given the way his eye flashed, that shining jewel in his ring flashed funnily in the light, the way his teeth seemed a little sharper than a human’s...

“You mean the one under CEO Choi? I think that guy’s a gumiho.”

Minsoo hyung chokes.

* * *

“We need to talk,” Dongho hyung states. It’s scary but he knows they do. Relationships, especially polyamorous ones, need communication or they fall apart.

“We do,” he agrees, even though his heart is absolutely pounding. 

“About what?” Minsoo hyung asks. “Jaewonnie already told you guys he’s a dryad, didn’t he?”

He had, and Daehyun had laughed for a solid hour.

“I want to ask him out,” Daehyun broaches the topic. 

“As do I,” Dongho hyung sighs, relieved. “Minsoo? We’re a closed relationship so we’re only gonna act on this if you consent.”

“I think he’s really cute,” Minsoo hyung flushes a cute silver. Daehyun can’t find it in himself to stop himself from kissing his hyung’s cheek.

“Oh hey guys,” Jaewon hyung greets from where he enters the door. His hair is dyed a pine green that practically screams Jaewon hyung. And he looks happy.

“Can we take you on a date?” Minsoo hyung asks. He and Dongho hyung absolutely choke at how forward Minsoo hyung is being.

Jaewon hyung blushes, skin tinging green.

“Me?”

“No, the other absolute cutie in the room named Ahn Jaewon,” Dongho hyung teases.

“I-“ Jaewon hyung giggles, half nervously and half amused- “I think I’d like that.”


	6. Chapter 6

“I need to get something off my chest,” Dongho says.

“Is it your shirt? Can it please be your shirt?” Minsoo asks, crossing his fingers. Dongho snorts. Minsoo is a little tease.

“What is it, Dongho?” Jaewon asks, the sweetheart that he is. “Are you okay?”

“I just wanted to tell you that you all mean a lot to me. Don’t be a sleaze,” Dongho raises an eyebrow. Jaewon and Daehyun laugh and Minsoo’s ears tinge silver.

“Oh bite me,” Minsoo rolls his eyes. 

Dongho smirks, leaning over to bite Minsoo’s collarbone. He hears a cheer from Daehyun and a laugh from Jaewon and a breathy gasp from Minsoo.

He pulls back to see Minsoo blushing such a silver that his ears have popped out and his tail coils around his feet.

“Who told you to stop? Bite me, you wizard jerk,” Minsoo murmurs, fingers digging into the sofa he’s seated on. 

“As you wish,” he winks and leans back in to continue but Minsoo stands up, annoyed.

“Don’t quote the Princess Bride while you do it!”

Dongho can’t stop himself from cackling so hard he falls off the couch. 

“Did you bump your head?” Minsoo, Daehyun, and Jaewon chorus, equally concerned expressions marring their laughter.

“I’m okay,” he smiles.

They know full well that he could stop himself and were worried anyway. They’re too cute.

* * *

Minsoo frowns at the pan. 

Three pancakes in and the first came out as goo, the second came out as charcoal, and this one isn’t staying together!

“Heya hyung- oh no.”

“Meanie,” Minsoo pouts, knowing exactly what the “oh no” was for.

“Hyung, I love you, but you can’t cook.”

“Did... did you just tell me you love me for the first time while saying I can’t cook?!”

“Can- can I help? Just lemme... here...” Daehyunah practically yanks the spatula from his hands and throws the pan in the sink. He doesn’t even spare a look to the batter, he throws it out.

“How do eggs sound?”

“Well, I would like to know how you like your eggs in the morning,” Minsoo jokes.

“Not made by you,” Dongho teases as he enters, planting a kiss on their foreheads. 

“What’s goin on?” Jaewon enters with a yawn, eyes scrunching.

“I’m making eggs, wanna help?”

“Sure? What do you want me to do?”

“Keep Minsoo hyung out of the kitchen,” Daehyun giggles. 

“YAH!”

They’re so annoying.

He loves them so damn much.

* * *

“Ready?”

He gets three smiles and then they’re there, looking at the stars in the sky. They shine in a way that reminds him of Minsoo’s nose when he smiles. He’s missed this.

The Nowon-gu observatory is beautiful and Dongho looks ready to tell them every little thing he knows about the constellations.

“There’s the demon star,” Dongho points out, poking Minsoo to make him laugh. 

It works, too.

“That’s Cepheus, Cassiopeia, and Andromeda, from Greek myth. They were a royal family and the queen said she was prettier than nereids-“

“Uh oh,” Jaewon swallows. He recalls meeting a school of nereids. They got mad when Jaewon didn’t want to err... “play” with them. Dongho looks at him, surprised. 

“Have you met a nereids?”

“They’re scary. They get mad easily,” he decides to tell them. Dongho laughs.

“Well they did get mad and sent the ocean to fight the land. So Cepheus tried to sacrifice his daughter by chaining her to a rock-“

Dongho’s voice fades as he tells the tale to the eagerly listening Daehyun. Jaewon smiles, knowing that sacrifice led to a happy ending and love, in the end.

“What’s that one?” Minsoo points to a constellation that looks a little like the Cassiopeia one.

“That’s the lizard, Lacerta. You know there’s a curse on the Lim family over in Busan to gain lizard features like a tail and scaly skin every time Lacerta is in the sky. It’s a new constellation, only from the seventeenth century.”

“That’s really new, whoa,” Daehyun gapes. Jaewon taps Dongho’s arm.

“Are there Korean constellations?”

“Yeah, want me to point them out?” Dongho offers, knowing full well that Jaewon is about to say yes.

* * *

Daehyun looks across the room where Minsoo hyung is wrapped in a blanket burrito, he’s on top of Jaewon hyung, with his glasses on and a novel on his lap. Minsoo hyung is practically asleep, and it’s adorable. 

Carefully, he yanks the blanket off of Minsoo hyung and giggles as Minsoo hyung huffs.

“Fight me!”

“Stop telling everyone to fight you, babe. Look how tiny you are,” Dongho hyung looks up from his phone, where he’s watching a man on a stage in a military suit get dragged off. The subtitles read something in English but the exclamation point and yelling makes it sound threatening.

“Don’t fucking test me. Step-stools exist,” Minsoo hyung snarls and Daehyun laughs and laughs because he’s so happy. He bends over to plant a kiss on Minsoo hyung’s forehead and he instantly softens.

“You’re cute,” he says.

“You suck,” Minsoo hyung replies.

Daehyun laughs so hard that his wings almost rip through his shirt.

Jaewon hyung is watching, laughter in his eyes. 

“Come on dryad boy,” he giggles. “Gimme a kiss on the cheek.”

Jaewon hyung snickers and plants a kiss on Dongho hyung’s cheek, then Minsoo hyung’s. Daehyun pouts. 

“Please?”

Jaewon hyung giggles and pecks him on the nose. His lips are soft, and smooth as the surface of a pine needle. He smells homey like winter and Christmas and he’s very cute and Daehyun is going to have a heart attack.

He’s happy.


End file.
